Cancer Drugs to Fight Obesity?
It doesn’t happen often, but every once in a while, when researchers are investigating one piece of data, they come to discover something else that could be groundbreaking. When researchers at a Mayo Clinic were running cancer studies on mice, they discovered that the cancer drugs used in the study were also causing considerable weight loss in the mice. So, what does this mean when changing directions and looking at obesity as well?
Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and is not meant to treat or diagnose any condition. It is recommended that you speak with your doctor before starting any exercise program, changing your daily nutrition, or adding any supplements to your regimen.
Table of contents
What Are Cancer Drugs?
Cancer drugs, also known as anticancer or antineoplastic drugs, are medications used to treat cancer by inhibiting the growth and spread of cancer cells. These drugs can be categorized into several types based on their mechanism of action and the type of cancer they treat. Here are the main categories:
1. Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy drugs kill rapidly dividing cells, including cancer cells, by interfering with their DNA replication or other critical functions. Common types include:
- Alkylating agents: Damage DNA directly to prevent the cancer cell from reproducing (e.g., cyclophosphamide).
- Antimetabolites: Mimic natural substances within the cell, disrupting metabolic processes and DNA synthesis (e.g., methotrexate).
- Topoisomerase inhibitors: Interfere with enzymes involved in DNA replication (e.g., doxorubicin).
- Mitotic inhibitors: Prevent cell division by interfering with the mitotic spindle (e.g., paclitaxel).
2. Targeted Therapy
Targeted therapy drugs specifically target cancer cells by binding to specific molecules (usually proteins) involved in cancer growth and progression. Examples include:
- Monoclonal antibodies: Bind to specific antigens on cancer cells (e.g., trastuzumab).
- Tyrosine kinase inhibitors: Block enzymes that promote cell growth (e.g., imatinib).
3. Immunotherapy
Immunotherapy drugs boost or modify the immune system to recognize and attack cancer cells. Types include:
- Checkpoint inhibitors: Block proteins that prevent the immune system from attacking cancer cells (e.g., pembrolizumab).
- Cytokines: Enhance the immune system’s response to cancer (e.g., interleukin-2).
- CAR-T cell therapy: Modifies a patient’s T-cells to better recognize and attack cancer (e.g., axicabtagene ciloleucel).
4. Hormone Therapy
Hormone therapy drugs interfere with hormone production or action, which can slow the growth of hormone-sensitive tumors such as breast and prostate cancer. Examples include:
- Selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs): Block estrogen receptors (e.g., tamoxifen).
- Aromatase inhibitors: Lower estrogen levels by blocking the enzyme aromatase (e.g., letrozole).
- Anti-androgens: Block the action of androgens (e.g., bicalutamide).
5. Anti-angiogenic Therapy
These drugs inhibit the formation of new blood vessels (angiogenesis) that tumors need to grow. An example is bevacizumab.
6. Oncolytic Virus Therapy
This innovative approach uses genetically modified viruses to infect and kill cancer cells, while sparing normal cells.
Side Effects and Considerations for Cancer Drugs
Cancer drugs can have significant side effects due to their impact on not just cancer cells but also normal cells. Common side effects include nausea, fatigue, hair loss, and increased risk of infection. The choice of drug and treatment plan depends on the type, stage, and genetic makeup of the cancer, as well as the patient’s overall health.
Advances in Cancer Treatment and Cancer Drugs
Advances in cancer treatment focus on personalizing therapy based on genetic profiling of tumors, improving drug delivery methods, and developing new cancer drug types to enhance efficacy and reduce side effects.
By targeting specific pathways and mechanisms involved in cancer progression, these cancer drugs offer more effective and often less toxic treatment options compared to traditional chemotherapy.
Two Birds (or mice) with One Stone?
When the researchers were giving their experimental mice two “common cancer drugs” they realized that the obese mice they were using for the study lost a considerable amount of weight fairly quickly even when still consuming a diet high in fat and without any caloric constraints put in place. This is interesting as it appears that the cancer drugs have a way of altering metabolic mechanisms.
Could this be the magic pill that everyone has been looking for where you can continue to be lazy, yet take a drug and lose weight without any effort or changes in diet or lifestyle habits?
Research on Cancer Drugs
One researcher stated, “We were surprised to observe that when morbidly obese mice were treated with certain cancer-fighting drugs, the drugs not only targeted their cancers, but also tended to spontaneously resolve their obesity—even with undiminished gorging on a high-fat diet.” The other researcher working on this study mentioned, “Two chemotherapy agents—methotrexate and cyclophosphamide—could be dosed to completely reverse obesity without detectable toxicity, even in mice without cancer. Interestingly, these drugs are already used to treat some noncancerous conditions, such as rheumatoid arthritis.” The immunologist in the study said, “The ease with which this weight loss was achieved in mice—even with continued caloric binging—is in stark contrast to the Herculean difficulties morbidly obese patients experience trying to preserve weight loss through dietary restraint.”
The researchers are trying to figure out exactly where the calories went in the body if they weren’t getting stored as fat. It is their belief that the excess calories might be going to the liver. Their thought process on this was that through the cancer treatment, the drugs helped the liver process the excess calories. The immunologist again stated, “Based on our composite data, it appears that methotrexate or cyclophosphamide can induce the livers of obese mice to burn off rather than accumulate excessive dietary fat. This results in desirable weight reduction instead of increased obesity, even with continued caloric binging.”
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